bystanders

plural of bystander
as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bystanders Witnesses and other bystanders were able to pull the dogs away from the elderly woman after the attack, authorities added. Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025 Videos from bystanders appeared to capture on person running across a rooftop of a nearby building on the campus, called the Losee Center, located around 140 yards from the stage were Kirk was speaking from. Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025 While these hoaxes mostly ended up being false alarms, experts note that these types of hoaxes are not only a serious crime with substantial penalties for those involved but can also put first responders and bystanders at risk. ABC News, 12 Sep. 2025 Just before the end of one of the videos, a person can be seen walking over to Taddese and the two bystanders and firing rounds from a weapon. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025 Sometimes, bystanders were caught in the crossfire. David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Tisch warned bystanders not to approach him. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025 But during a crisis, bystanders often struggle to find one nearby. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025 When a World War II-era bomb is found buried under a London construction site, the authorities are determined to evacuate the throngs of innocent bystanders in the vicinity. Kevin Cassidy, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bystanders
Noun
  • Just one week after wowing spectators at the US Open with her dominating and inspiring tennis skills, Coco Gauff shifted her razor-sharp focus to her other passion—fashion.
    Paul Chi, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.
    Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The roughly 680-mile-wide (1,090 kilometers) dwarf planet would pass in front of the background star at an angle visible only to observers in northern Canada and other parts of the Arctic during daylight hours.
    Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • October is also a peak month for displays of the Northern Lights; if geomagnetic activity is high, some observers at northern latitudes may also see the comet amid auroras.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The league averaged 221,000 viewers throughout the season, including its playoffs, while the championship game between Rose BC and Vinyl BC drew 364,000 viewers and peaked at 385,000.
    Roberta F. Rodrigues, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Belly is a sweet everygirl upon whom viewers can seamlessly project, but as my colleague Elise Taylor astutely argued, her identity is all too bound up in the Fisher brothers.
    Vogue, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bystanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bystanders. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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